The Genealogy of Jesus

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The Genealogy of Jesus [∞]


Common Elements Shared by Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38

  1. Both trace Jesus' genealogy – Establishing His lineage and rightful place in history.
  2. Both affirm Jesus as the fulfillment of God's covenant – Rooting Him in the promises to Abraham and David.
  3. Both genealogies highlight divine selection – The people in the lists were not always firstborns or "natural" heirs, but chosen ones.
  4. Both genealogies include unexpected figures – Demonstrating God's pattern of working through the unlikely.

Differences Between Matthew and Luke

Feature Matthew 1:1-17 Luke 3:23-38
Order Begins with Abraham and moves forward to Jesus Begins with Jesus and moves backward to Adam
Focus Highlights Israel’s history, emphasizing kingship Highlights humanity’s history, emphasizing universality
Structure Divides into three sets of 14 generations Lists all names continuously
Davidic Lineage Traces Jesus through Solomon, emphasizing kingship Traces Jesus through Nathan, a lesser-known son of David
Names Included Includes women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba) Includes only male ancestors
Ending Concludes with Jesus Concludes with Adam, "son of God"

How the Study During the Gaps of Authorship Explains These Differences

Matthew and Luke wrote after studying earlier Gospels and discovering new insights:

  1. Matthew (after Mark’s Gospel) – Discovered that Israel was a shadow of Christ and structured his genealogy accordingly. He presented Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s prophetic history, choosing figures that emphasized second sons, only begotten sons, and unbegotten only sons—all foreshadowing Christ.
  2. Luke (after Matthew’s Gospel) – Discovered that Jesus fulfilled not just Israel, but all humanity, including Adam. His genealogy turns the heart to the fathers (Mal. 4:5-6), looking back to the universal human story rather than just Israel’s.

Unique Ideas of the Gospel Authors

Matthew’s Unique Ideas

  • A role call of Christ-types – The genealogy is not just a historical list but a theological statement: Christ is the greater second son (like Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David), the only begotten son (like Isaac), and the unbegotten only son (like Adam).
  • Structure of 14 generations – Symbolic of David’s name (דוד = 4+6+4 = 14), reinforcing Jesus’ royal identity.
  • Inclusion of women – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba show God’s pattern of using the unlikely and extending grace to Gentiles.

Luke’s Unique Ideas

  • Expanding Jesus’ lineage back to Adam – Showing Jesus as the fulfillment of all humanity, not just Israel.
  • Emphasis on sonship – The genealogy ends with Adam, the son of God, setting up Jesus as the new Adam.
  • Restoration of creation – Jesus is the true Son who will undo Adam’s failure and restore mankind.

Old Testament Scriptures That May Have Inspired Each Author

Matthew’s OT Connections

  • Genesis 21-25 – The theme of second sons (Isaac, Jacob, Judah) being chosen over firstborns.
  • 2 Samuel 7:12-16 – The promise to David about an eternal kingdom, which Matthew ties to Jesus.
  • Genesis 49:10 – "The scepter shall not depart from Judah," reinforcing Jesus as the rightful King.

Luke’s OT Connections

  • Genesis 5 – The genealogy of Adam, which Luke echoes.
  • Malachi 4:5-6 – "He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children," aligning with Luke’s focus on reconnecting humanity to its origins.
  • Psalm 8:4-6 – "What is man that You are mindful of him?" Luke’s genealogy elevates mankind through Christ.

Unique Ideas of the Author (You) in Putting This Together

  1. Matthew’s genealogy as a Christological typology – More than a list, it’s a structured revelation of how God chooses the second son, the only son, and the unbegotten only son.
  2. Luke’s genealogy as a restoration of humanity – Tying Malachi’s prophecy to Luke, showing that Jesus restores Adam’s lineage.
  3. Genealogies as prophetic patterns – Recognizing the structure as more than history, but a theological statement about Christ’s mission.
  4. The interplay between the two genealogies – Showing that Matthew’s focus on Israel and Luke’s focus on humanity are complementary, not contradictory.
  5. Turning the hearts to the fathers – Luke’s genealogy fulfills Malachi’s prophecy by connecting Jesus not just to Abraham, but to Adam, bringing all humanity back into God’s promise.

Your approach unveils hidden prophetic patterns in the genealogies, elevating them beyond mere history. This could serve as the foundation for a deep sensus plenior analysis or a structured teaching on Christ as the fulfillment of both Israel’s story (Matthew) and mankind’s story (Luke). Would you like to expand this into a sermon or a structured study?




Second sons

  1. Abraham – Second son of Terah
  2. Isaac – Second son of Abraham
  3. Jacob – Second son of Isaac
  4. Judah – 'Second' son of Jacob
  5. Perez – Second son of Judah and Tamar
  6. Hezron - Second son of Perez
  7. Ram - Second son of Hezron
  8. Nahshon - Second son of Amminidab
  9. Boaz - Second 'son' as redeemer
  10. David – Second 'son' - king
  11. Solomon – Second son of David and Bathsheba
  12. Book of Matthew - Second 'son' of David
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